Button



B. FREILE.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

' UNITED srATEsrATENr omen BRUCE FREILEOFBOGOTA, NEVJ J'ERTEEE'Y, ;ASSIGNOE 'IG "WESTERN ELEGTBIG (JG-MPANY,

INCORPQRATED," OF NEV YGBEZ, Y., is GORIPORETIQN (1 F HEW YORK. I

Specificationof Letters Eaten-t.

{ifatentedv Maia-9, lifia Application filed February 16, 1818.' Serial No. 217,657.

1 0 all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUCE ject of the King of Great Britain,'residing at Bogota, in the county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inButtons, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,- and 1 ed, such as a shellac compound, is protected,

by a metallic casing 12, having a pro1ecting exact description.

This invention relates to buttons andmore particularly to operating buttons for electrical switching apparatus.

Since various portions of the electrical switching apparatus carry electrical I currents, it is essential to insulate the exposed portions of the operating buttons thereof in order to properly protect the user. Buttons of this character, especially those associated with telephone switching apparatus, are subjected to such severe service con- 'ditions that buttons composed entlrely 0t insulating materialdo not possess the wearing qualities necessary to satisfactorily meet the service requirements.

It is also very desirable, especially in cases where a plurality of suchoperating buttons are provided for the use of one operator, to provide: indicating means where I by the buttons associated with certain classes of service may be quickly and readily distinguished and selected.

It is the object of this invention to pro vide a simple and inexpensive unitary protected button having a body portion of insulating material and which may be provided with a permanent distinguishing indication. v

In accordance with a feature of the pres ent invention, a unitary button is obtained by molding a body of insulating material within, and integrally associated with, a metallic protectmg casing hav1ng an opening therein, coincident with the operating surface of the button, surrounded by a projecting' hollow rim, such opening being closed by an indicating plate provided with a transparent cover plate and the rim portion being substantially filled'by a reinforc ing ring, The rim'portion serves to 'prevent slippage of the operators finger, as well as to protect the button during service.

It is thought that the invention may be clearly understood from the 'followingspecification and annexed drawing, in which Figure 1 is a planiof the assembled button;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof; Fig.

FREILn, a sub 7 i 3. shows perspectives of the indicating insulating material, capable oi being mold hollow rim portion 8, substantially filled by a remforcmgrmg and surrounding an' aperture in the casing which coincides with the operating surface of the button. The sidewall of the casing :2 is provided with a plurality of apertures 5 which are filled with the insulating material in the process of molding, thereby serving to integrally unite the casing with the body portion. The 1nd1cat1ng plate or member 6 may e of any suitable material, of any desiredcolor and bearing any required designating character for indicating the particular service with whlch the button is to be associated,'wh1le the; protecting cover plate 7 may be of any suitable transparent material possessing the requisite wearing qualities, such as celluloid. The internally threaded memher 8 is molded in the body portion to'provide means for removably attaching the button to the operating member of the associated switching apparatus.

In assembling he button, placed within and substantially fills the rim 3. The cover 7 and the indicating plate 6, which are of approximately the same diameter as the interior of the casing, are then placed'in position and the resultant partial assembly is placed in a suitable mold which also contains the member 8. Suflicient plastic material is then introduced into the 7 mold to completely [ill the unoccupied portions thereof, including the apertures 5.

The ring & serves to properly'support the peripheries of the plates during the mold- .ing process, and cooperating therewith to prevent the insulating material from entering the interior of therim portion.

the ring 4. is

While the invention has been described as. being applied to buttons for electrical switching apparatus, it is evident that it is also applicable to many other kinds of apparatus subjected to severe service conditions and requiring individual designations" for the operating button, such as type writers, cash registers, etc.

lVhat is claimed is: 1. A but-ton comprising abody portion of molded insulating material, a metallic protecting casing therefor provided with an opening in the top surface thereof and with a plurality of apertures 1n the side-Wall;

thereof ada'pted'to be filled by the body portlon, a transparent cover plate closing such opening, an indicating plate placed underneath the cover plate, and attaching means integrally united Withthe casing and the plates by said body portion.

2. A molded button comprising abot y portion of plastic n'iaterial, a protecting casing therefor having an aperture therein,

7 indicating means closing such aperture, and

attaching meansintegrally united with the casing and the ndu'atmg body' portion. e

3. A molded button COIDPIlSlDg a bodymeans by said" portion of plastic insulating material, a

protecting metallic cylindrical casing surrounding sa dbody portion andharlng ap V ertures adapted to befilled;thereby. the edge of the casing inturned to provide an opening of reduced dlameter surrounded by a hollow rim, a reinforcing ring adapted of the rim during the molding-process, and

attarhlng means integrally-united With the plates and the casing by said bodyportion. In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my namethls 2nd day ofJanuary, A. D;

' V BRUCE FREILE. 

